Ruling the CEO

JENNY

Sliding the key in the lock, I twisted it to open the door to my apartment, which I shared with Ellis.

Once the door was unlocked, I took a minute to survey my surroundings from the outside, making sure everything was the way I’d left it.

Once satisfied that the couch had not been moved and the picture frames were not crooked, I took a deep breath and stepped inside, immediately turning to lock the door behind me.

There were all sorts of evil prowling about in this world. I had to keep my doors locked to keep myself safe.

Placing my purse on the kitchen counter, I quickly took off my coat and hung it on the hook before taking my shoes off and placing them right below my coat.

The silence unnerved me, like always. I hated staying alone in my apartment; the smallest of sounds tended to freak me out.

But right now, Ellis was out with Ivan, so I had no choice but to put on my big-girl pants and hope that nothing awful would happen to me while Ellis was away.

Upon hearing my stomach grumble, I padded over to the kitchen, but not before switching the TV on; meaningless noise was better than no noise.

In the kitchen, I looked around for something to eat. That something turned out to be last night’s Chinese takeout.

I was pretty sure Ellis was going to eat out with Ivan, but I still saved some for her, just in case. Once I had my dinner ready, I went back to the living room, sat down on the couch, and began to eat.

I should be focusing on the TV, but all I could focus on was Kieran Maslow. I couldn’t believe a man like Kieran asked me out on a date. And the fact that he didn’t beat around the bush was something I admired.

Men seldom acted straightforward toward me, always making up excuses with the ulterior motive of asking me out later. Those men gave me false hope, and I hated that.

But Kieran was rich, at least that’s what Ellis said. He also had a credit card, a black one like those extremely rich people.

Why did he ask me out on a date? He could have ten girlfriends at one time if he wished.

My mind was so busy thinking about Kieran and his pretty smile that it took me a moment to realize what I was seeing on TV.

Oh God, no, this could not be happening. They could not be here. No, no, they were supposed to be in Northern Ireland, not here. Oh God, no.

Panic seized me, making it difficult for me to breathe as I stared at the monsters who made it their mission to ruin my life.

My stepfather and stepbrother were standing outside a lofty building talking to a lady on TV. Both of them were wearing their most charming smiles and were dressed in the most expensive suits.

They were trying to impress the world.

But I knew better. I knew the monsters lurking behind those cold, charcoal eyes better than anyone because I was a victim to those monsters.

I forgot about my dinner, forgot about Kieran, forgot about everything but the two men who were currently smiling at the camera. And I was transported back six years ago.

The sound of whips cracking in the air right before they slapped my back; me constantly trying to wriggle out of the ropes that my wrists were tied with.

Blood trickling down my naked arms as my stepbrother and stepfather took turns whipping my naked back.

They were here, and they were going to kill me. I ran away from them, and they were here for revenge. They were not here to be business partners with the Maslows as my stepfather was saying on camera.

No, they were here to kill me for running away from them. They were going to kill me on my birthday, but I ran away. And now, after six years, they were back.

Ellis. I needed Ellis, I needed my best friend, but she was not here. I was alone here, just like I had always been, just like they wanted me to be.

I stood up so fast I didn’t realize I had dropped my plate of food. Not caring about the spilled food, I jogged over to the front door and checked to make sure all the locks were in place.

I would not let him get to me. I wouldn’t let either of them get to me. I had to run away, leave the country. If my stepbrother caught up to me, he would put a bullet in my head.

Ellis, please come back soon!

My body was trembling with terror, my mind replaying those awful memories, and I could hear my stepbrother laughing and calling me all sorts of names as he tortured me.

Clamping my hands over my ears to block out the sound of my brother’s laughter, I shut my eyes to stop seeing the images floating through my brain.

But it was no use. Nothing was helping. The memories were too real, too vivid. I screamed and fell down, tears running down my face.

“Mum, help! Mum, please help me. Save me!” I screamed, begging my mother to help me. But she was not there. She left me all alone in the care of those monsters.

But I didn’t stop. I kept calling for my mom, hoping she would come back and protect me. She didn’t come, she wouldn’t. She was gone from this world, taking away everything that made me feel safe.

“Jenny!” A panicked voice broke through the fog of agony and despair, but I did not dare to open my eyes. I did not dare to hope that someone was here to save me.

A moment later I felt familiar arms around me, helping me sit up.

“Jenny! Jenny, look at me. It’s me, Ellis. Come on, Jenny, look at me. See me, Jenny. I am here. I am right here.”

The soothing voice shattered the painful images running rampant through my mind, forcing me to come back to reality.

“Ellis?” I forced the word out as pieces began to settle in my mind. Ellis was here, she had come back from her date with Ivan. My stepfather and stepbrother were here in England.

“Yes, Jenny, I am right here. It’s all right, you’re safe. No one can hurt you here.” She soothed, pulling me in for a tight embrace.

“They are here, Ellis. My stepfather and stepbrother. And they will hurt me.” I sobbed, wishing my life was anything but a living, breathing nightmare.

“What are you talking about, Jenny? How can they be here? They are in Ireland, right?” Ellis began rubbing my back in soothing circles, but my fear was too profound for me to take comfort from her.

All I could see and think about was my stepbrother as he beat me for his own amusement. They were sick, and yet they were portraying themselves as immaculate as possible.

“They are here. Look at the TV,” I told her.

Ellis did not let me go but turned her head to look at the TV screen where the two monsters continued to charm the media with their toxic smiles and silver tongues.

“Oh, Jenny. Don’t worry. They might be here, but they are not going to hurt you. They don’t know that you are here as well,” Ellis said.

“They are rich and powerful; they have connections. It won’t be long until they know I am here if they don’t already. I have to get out of here, Ellis. This place is not safe. I can’t let them take me.”

More tears trickled from my eyes.

“All right, let’s not be hasty. We need to think of a plan—something to do if things get difficult and your stepbrother finds you,” Ellis said.

“Running away isn’t an option right now, Jenny. It took us a long time to find stability, and I won’t allow anyone to ruin that, especially that arsehole!”

Ellis held me tight, the conviction in her tone making me feel better.

“What can we do, then?” I asked, pulling away from her and wiping my face with my hands.

“Tomorrow is Friday, the beginning of the weekend, it will give us time to think and plan together. Right now, we both are tired, so it’s best if we go to sleep and discuss this tomorrow.”

“I am not going to work tomorrow. I just can’t go out knowing that they are here, that they can get to me if they want to. Please, make up some excuse for me tomorrow. Please, Ellis,” I pleaded.

“Hey, you don’t need to beg me for it. I understand, and it’s okay. You can take a day off from work. I’ll tell the boss.” Ellis gave me a soft smile, causing me to relax immediately.

Ellis was right. We just needed a plan. Running away was not the answer. My mother was here, I couldn’t leave her. I would just have to think of some way to protect myself from those monsters.

But could I really protect myself?

***

Last night was difficult and seemed to go on forever. Sleep did not bother to come for me, and I spent the whole night tossing and turning in bed.

The thought of my stepfather or my stepbrother breaking into my apartment forced me to keep my eyes and ears open, making me hyperaware of the most insignificant of sounds.

When the sun rose, I was more than ready to welcome the new day, but I was terrified of it at the same time. I was going to be alone in my apartment while Ellis was at work.

And I had to make sure not to go outside.

Ellis left in a hurry because she woke up late. When she was gone, I locked the door and placed a couple of chairs against it, in case somebody decided to pay me a surprise visit.

Even though I was not satisfied with the locked door, I had no choice but to deal with it. I could not afford to buy a good quality alarm system, so I had to make do with chairs and bolts.

I cleaned the apartment, twice, my anxiety making it impossible for me to sit still. I did not dare to turn on the TV, afraid that I would see Mitchell, my stepbrother, smiling at the camera.

Instead, I decided to plug my phone into the cheap speakers that Ellis bought last year and let music drown out my worries.

As soon as the sun descended, giving way for darkness to spread, I was looking forward to seeing Ellis.

She would be back anytime now. I could not believe I spent an entire day without her, all alone in this apartment.

Checking the refrigerator to make sure there was something left for us to eat, I cursed when I saw the nearly empty fridge. Damn! I would just have to tell Ellis to bring something on her way home.

Picking up my phone, I dialed Ellis.

“Hello, Ellis?” I said as soon as she picked up after the third ring.

“Yes, Jenny, is everything okay?” Concern laced her voice and I thanked God for blessing me with a friend like Ellis.

“Everything is fine. I just wanted to tell you that there is nothing to eat, so can you bring home some food?”

“Yeah, sure, no problem. Although I don’t think it will be necessary,” she said cryptically.

“Not necessary? What do you mean?” I inquired.

“I’ll tell you when I get there,” she responded.

“Uh, all right, hurry back. Bye.” I hung up, a frown on my face. What did she mean by dinner wouldn’t be necessary?

Shaking my head, I took out a couple of plates along with spoons and forks. I glanced at the clock to see it striking eight. My stomach grumbled, demanding food.

When there was a knock at the door, I rushed to open it. I was starving and was dying to see my best friend. I threw the door open only to be met with a surprise.

Ellis was standing with a bag of takeout, but it was the man standing next to her that had my jaw dropping.

“Hey, Jenny, Kieran is here for your date. I told him he can come with me, then take you to wherever it is he wants to take you.” Ellis smiled at me.

I stared at Kieran, all six feet of pure muscle and male as he stood outside my apartment wearing a three-piece suit and holding a bouquet of flowers.

“C-come on in.” I threw the door open, allowing Ellis and Kieran to enter.

I was going to have a serious talk with Ellis. I rejected Kieran, told him I did not want to go out on a date with him, and he was still here.

“These are for you,” Kieran said as we stood in the living room, handing me the bouquet that smelled like every girl’s dream.

“Uh, thank you, Kieran. But I think you’re forgetting that I told you I didn’t want to go out on a date with you.” There was no point in sparing his feelings. He had to understand I wasn’t interested.

“You never said anything like that,” Kieran stated, giving me a soft smile. Why did he smile so much?

“Yes, I did. I told you I didn’t want to go with you,” I reminded him.

“No, I stopped you before you could say that,” he replied.

So that’s why he told me not to finish that sentence. God, he tricked me. He was smart, which meant he was dangerous, which gave me all the more reason to stay away from him.

“Well, I am sorry, Kieran, but I just can’t go on a date with you,” I told him.

“And why not? Ellis said you can go. That’s why she told me to come with her over here, so I could take you out,” Kieran said.

“Ellis is crazy. She doesn’t know half the things she says,” I replied, murdering Ellis in my mind.

“That’s not true. I know exactly what I said. And we talked about this, Jenny. You should go out with Kieran. You can use some fresh air.”

This woman would never get points for subtlety. And fresh air? I was hiding from my stepbrother, and she was telling me I needed fresh air.

“Come on, just a couple of hours. I promise to bring you back by eleven,” Kieran insisted.

“Go, Jenny. I invited Ivan over for movie night.”

Oh God, movie night meant sex night. And I didn’t want to be a third wheel nor did I want to hear them moaning and groaning in passion. Ellis had left me with no choice but to go with Kieran.

“All right, fine. I’ll go change. Give me five minutes,” I said to Kieran, throwing a glare at Ellis’s back.

“Take all the time you need,” Kieran replied.

With a tight smile, I turned and headed into my bedroom to get ready for my date with…

Kieran Maslow.